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April
Life Unscripted
When their lives took sudden turns, Lorraine Gyauch and Sharon Hoffner made bold changes at home and at work
Life doesn’t come with a script. The cast, the plot and the action can change in an instant. Lorraine Gyauch, R.N., and Sharon Hoffner, R.N., both dealt with unexpected surprises. With courage and persistence, they responded by making dramatic life changes and developing a renewed sense of purpose. Here are their stories.
Turning tragedy into a gift
Lorraine Gyauch, R.N., did what many women did in the 1960s. She went to nursing school because she wanted to help others. Then she married and became a devoted housewife and parent, raising her four daughters.
But Gyauch’s traditional life took an abrupt turn when her husband died suddenly. She was just 42. Her girls were teenagers. She was thrown into a new world where she was now the decision-maker and bread-winner.
“My two most important goals when Mike died were to continue raising our daughters in the same manner as when he was alive, and to not be a burden to them,” Gyauch says. “I knew I needed to go back to school in order to do that.”
Easier said than done. While she enjoyed learning, she had taken only “homemaker” classes in recent years, and she soon found herself surrounded by students closer to her daughters’ ages. Her self-confidence was at an all-time low. But through the support of her daughters, friends and professors, she regained her stride and graduated from Northampton Community College. She then earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Moravian College and a master's degree in psychology from Lehigh University. She won several awards on the way.
Now a nurse educator in the cancer center, Gyauch is a new woman. She’s married for five years, and she and her husband, Bill, a hospital volunteer, travel frequently and live a relaxed, comfortable life. She loves her work and what she learns from her patients and their families. Through her explorations of spirituality and women’s issues, she has arrived at a place of peace and contentment.
“I am directed from within now, rather than by outside influences,” she says. “I’m not afraid to try new things or show vulnerability. When you let people know what you need, it allows them to give you gifts of caring and love.”
Drawing inspiration from family
Sharon Hoffner, R.N., always puts family first. She raised her two children and provided a stable, loving environment to foster children. “It was a joy to make a difference in their lives,” says Hoffner, who worked as a unit clerk in LVH–Muhlenberg’s emergency department (ED). “Working part-time allowed me to spend time with my kids when they needed me most.”
But it wasn’t always easy. One of her foster children, Kim, was raised in an abusive home, had poor self-esteem and didn’t enjoy school. “It was really tough some days to get him out of bed in the mornings,” Hoffner says. “I would do everything short of dumping a bucket of water on him.” He graduated, but had no ambition to attend college.
So Hoffner made a deal with Kim: “If you go to college, I will too.” He accepted, and they both enrolled at Lehigh Carbon Community College (LCCC), with Hoffner pursuing a nursing degree.
Now a nurse, Hoffner works part-time at night in the LVH–Muhlenberg ED. She brings with her that family-first mentality. When a couple in their 60s told Hoffner they could no longer care for their elderly parents at home, she helped them deal with their guilt. When a woman came to the ED with a fractured hip and cried out for her daughter, Hoffner brought them together. These are just some reasons why Hoffner earned the 2005 Friends of Nursing Fleming Nursing Practice Award.
Kim also excelled. He received an associate degree from LCCC, a bachelor’s degree from Moravian College, and a master’s from American University. He now works in diplomatic relations for the State Department. “I couldn’t be more proud,” Hoffner says. Kim hasn’t forgotten how Hoffner encouraged him. Last year, he sent Hoffner and her husband to see “The Sound of Music”... in Austria!
This page last updated 2/12/08 04:08 PM
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